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White Hart Lane plays host to high-flying Southampton this Sunday, in what is set to be a tough test for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Tottenham sit five points behind Southampton in the league and a win would allow them to close that gap and start to put pressure on the teams around them. Last season’s equivalent fixture saw Spurs clinch a last gasp 3-2 win, and this weekend’s encounter has the potential to be just as entertaining.

Tottenham’s Nacer Chadli has continued his prolific start to the season, scoring again against Arsenal in last weekend’s North London derby. Chadli now has 4 goals in 5 Premier League games, with a conversion rate of 36.4%, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Chadli is likely to start this weekend and there is no reason why he should not extend his run of goalscoring, should he produce similar performances to those he has displayed in recent weeks. Chadli is 17/2 with 888sport to be first goalscorer against Southampton.

The most involved player on the pitch so far this season has been Etienne Capoue. The majority of play has gone through the central midfield, and Capoue has made 417 successful passes thus far in the Premier League, the most of any Spurs player and fourth most in the division. The closest to him in the Tottenham squad is Christian Eriksen who has successfully completed 268 passes, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Another midfielder who Pochettino seemingly rates highly is Nabil Bentaleb. The Algerian has shown a particularly good work ethic this season and has recorded an average speed of 7.4km/h this season, the highest of any Spurs player who has played a full 90 minutes, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

Throughout the summer, Tottenham were interested in Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, but the French midfielder is still lining up for Southampton this weekend, and his form so far this season vindicates the club’s decision to do all they could to hold on to him. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he has scored three goals, won more tackles than anyone else in the squad (25) and covered more ground than any other Premier League player, running a total of 72.4km this season – and has arguably been their player of the season so far.

One player who would rival Schneiderlin for this title is Graziano Pellè. The imposing striker has the second most shots on target in the Premier League so far this season with ten, and he has been rewarded with four goals, ranking him third in the top-scorers list for the season, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Pellè is 7/4 to score at any time with 888sport.

He, along with Dusan Tadic have been revelations this season. Tadic already has three assists in his debut season in the Premier League. The winger has made ten successful crosses, which has played a large part in Pellè’s goalscoring form this season. Only Stewart Downing has delivered more successful balls in to the box than Tadic in the Premier League and the Serbian should prove a huge threat to the Spurs defence this weekend.

Unlike the Belgian, Mané is lesser known in the UK but has had high profile links to Arsenal in the past, and it is believed he was a target of some bloke called Pochettino at Spurs this Summer. A Senegal international, Mané has made his name in Austria playing for Red Bull Salzburg, scoring a hefty amount of goals for a winger.

With Saints crying out for some pace and natural width Mané looks to be just the kind of player we have been missing. I spoke to Josh Bloom a Red Bull Salzburg regular on what Sadio will bring to the team.

It’s came from nowhere, but this seems to be a very good signing for Saints. What can we expect from Mané?

JB ‘Mané is a pacey, exciting, wide right forward/winger – who will cause defences a few problems. It was always felt he had become too good to stay in the Austrian Bundesliga, he deserves his move. I watched him tear Bayern’s full strength back line to pieces in January in a friendly. Several clubs have been monitoring him for a long time.’

Any specific strengths and weaknesses?

JB ‘He’s very quick, and has a trick or two. He will be very exciting to watch and will rack up the assists. However he does go to ground easily, and for a man who breaks through the line often, he should score more than he does.’

If you listen carefully Sadio you can hear Ben Smith and Neil Ashton’s bubble burst…

Do you think he will be able to adapt quickly to the Premier League?

JB ‘ I expect him to have an immediate impact, and will come up to speed quickly. He may need to bulk up a bit to deal with the physical nature of the Premier League, he can get knocked off the ball too easily. That said he is very, very fit. Salzburg play a high pressure, high tempo 4-2-4 system in which he runs his socks off.’

Is there another player in England you think he is similar to?

JB ‘He reminds me of Theo Walcott – when he’s on form, he’s unplayable, when he’s having a bad day you want to pull your hair out – not because he’s playing particularly poorly, but rather you know he could influence play more than he does.’

King of the Breakdance Tackle!

With the outgoings at Saints this Summer, many have suggested there is a lack of ‘ambition’ at the club. With Mané being linked to bigger clubs in the past, does this signing refute that?

JB ‘I think that’s his level actually. He needed to leave the Austrian Bundesliga, his only real tests were coming in European games. He’s still young – bigger teams will be keeping an eye on him to see if he sinks or swims in a decent league. Good signing for Saints, especially when he easily could have gone to a ‘bigger’ German club.’

So there we have it Sadio Mané marks the end of a brilliant turnaround at St. Mary’s this Summer, and for me it would seem Ronald Koeman has built a very good squad with his kitty. Thanks to Josh for the help.

It was a pretty eventful transfer deadline day for Saints with the club leaving it as late as possible to announce their new players.

The first through the door last night was Belgian international defender Toby Alderweireld on a season long loan with option to buy deal from Atletico Madrid. Alderweireld was part of Atletico’s La Liga winning and Champion’s League runners up squad last season and it is somewhat of a coup to see him arrive at St. Mary’s.

Capable of playing at both centre half and right back he not only provides vital cover but also the ability to take the club up a level in defensive terms.

It’s came from nowhere, but this seems to be a very good signing for Saints. What can we expect from Alderweireld?

KT ‘Alderweireld is a strong, determined central defender with an excellent long pass. He can also play as a right back. Despite the fact that he’s not the tallest, he’s strong in the air and a threat on set pieces. He likes too tackle too. ‘

Any specific strengths and weaknesses?

KT ‘Strengths: His presence, his long ball, his tackle, his treat on attacking set-pieces.

Weakness: he’s not the quickest, and both at Atlético and Ajax he was sometimes caught out of position and made some errors. Although he has a good long ball, he’s not the most accurate passer either, like the other Belgian central defenders in the PL.’

Toby the Saint!

Do you think he will be able to adapt quickly to the Premier League?

KT ‘With his determination and tackling he’ll win hearts easily. He has the capacities to turn his hand to the English game.’

With the outgoings at Saints this Summer, many have suggested there is a lack of ‘ambition’ at the club. Does this signing refute that?

KT ‘Well, it’s only a loan. Alderweireld was linked to Arsenal a lot, but the interest was never concrete. Neither with the other big teams. Because he’s Belgian everyone is jumping on the bandwagon as the next big thing. But as a central defender he will always be behind Kompany or Vermaelen in the national team.’

Alderweireld at the World Cup.

So there we have it. Saints first of two deadline day players sounds like someone with a big future in the game. Thanks to Kristof for his time. The lowdon on Sadio Mané coming soon…..

So it’s happened. Older fans will recognise the title of this blog as a nod to a brilliant Ugly Inside front page after Alan Ball left for Man City, and much like that situation it is difficult as a Saints fan to understand why this has happened.

As plenty have pointed out, why should we be surprised that a man who entered St. Mary’s in an underhand fashion should leave it in exactly the same way.

My problem is never with people showing ambition, but presumably Pochettino’s performances at Saints have given his own self confidence a boost. Can he meet the unrealistic expectations of Spurs fans and chairman? 5th place won’t be good enough and right now they don’t have the squad to get any higher. Who will he bring in? When given big money at Saints he signed Dani Osvaldo.

All will be revealed soon enough, but he might want to take a look at the immediate futures of the likes of Ball and Glenn Hoddle after they left Saints. The grass isn’t always greener.

They’ve given us a 5 year contract, which will be a lovely payout just in time for Christmas…

So that is the end of another topsy turvey season in the life of being a Saints fan, but no season would be complete without a spate of reviews and awards. This site is no different and yet again the response to this years Ali awards has been fantastic, and this is what is up for grabs:-

So without further ado, here are YOUR winners…..

Player of the Year

This was calculated like so:- Each player got 2 points for a vote as winner and one point as a vote for runner up. Here are all those that received votes and their points percentage.

And the winner, a young man who started his career at Saints with a lot of doubters, but in the second half of the season was undoubtedly one of our top performers with 29% of the votes……Jay Rodriguez!

Performance of the Season (Team or Individual)

Received Votes:-Puncheon at Loftus Road, Second Half at Stamford Bridge (Team), Gaston Ramirez v Villa at home, Team v Villa at home, Team v Newcastle at home, Jay Rodriguez v Liverpool at home, Boruc at Villa Park, Team v Arsenal at home, Team v West Ham at home, Second Half at Old Trafford (Team), First half at home v Everton (Team), Lambert v Chelsea at home, Cork v Chelsea at home, Boruc at Carrow Road, Team at Loftus Road, Cortese v Le Tissier, Cortese sacking Adkins.

3rd Place:- Team v Chelsea at home in the league (13%).

2nd Place:- Team v Liverpool at home (20%).

And the winner, a memorable day as the champions were made to look extremely ordinary with 31% of the votes….Team v Man City at home.

And in joint first place, the imaginary trophy will have to spend 6 months in each users mind, with 16% of the votes each, errrr, this is a little embarrassing…..Simon Peach and I!

So that concludes this year’s ‘Ali’s’, some truly deserving winners there I’m sure you will agree. Thank you to everybody who voted, and thank you all for a fantastic season. I actually think the atmosphere at St. Mary’s this season was the best it has ever been, and one of the best in the Premier League. As the club goes through some interesting times progress wise our support is more important than ever.

That’s a difficult question, as nobody really knows what to expect. The idea is that Rodgers has come in and we’re going to suddenly look like a combination of everything that was good about Swansea last year and Barcelona is all well and good, but a little naive. We’ll probably be a lot better at both ends of the pitch, because at the end of the season it was hard for us to be any worse.

Who is your most important player?

Steven Gerrard. Suarez comes very close but there’s no mistaking as to who everyone associates with Liverpool. There’s a reasonable arguement to be made for Lucas aswell, given what happened last year. Hopefully now that will have put to bed this ludicrous idea that’s he’s anything other than boss.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

5th. Champions League football would be great and while I don’t for any reason think it’s out of our reach, it relies upon too many other factors.

Who might win the Premier League?

Chelsea. They’re addressing the problem with their aging team the only way they know how, spending lots and lots of money. I have a feeling Di Matteo will suffer a lot in the same way that Dalglish did last year (first season no pressure, now there is) but if it clicks then City and United could have a fight on their hands.

Who definitely won’t?

Arsenal. I don’t think any level headed gooner will be thinking that they’re actually challenging, but any that are deserve the same kind of ridicule usually levelled at us.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

Tricky. Everton is more important and you feel that one coming for a lot longer but there’s that “special” something that comes with games against Man United, who probably edge it because it feels a lot less one sided.

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

Probably City and United. It’s a bit of a cliche but the two games last year were fascinating. Also, they had the perfect result.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

I think they – along with all the promoted teams – are certainly capable of staying up. The league has been divided into three categories now and those that aren’t challenging for Europe don’t ever seem to be really out of it until March, so it’s unlikely anybody will sink without a trace. St. Mary’s will be rocking and not the ideal place for any team to go if you manage to get on a roll. Can’t wait to see Lambert in the Premier League also.

You find yourself stuck in Goodison Park. How do you escape unnoticed?

I’m not sure because if they ever heard me talk about Liverpool they may assume I’m just one of them. They’re not obsessed or anything…

A serious fight for the title, we want it back. Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes. Had some shocking moments last season, for example drawing with Everton (4-4), Newcastle (1-1) and Stoke City (1-1) followed by a loss at Ewood Park in December (Blackburn beat us 3-2). We had way too many injuries and our form dipped because of that. Michael Carrick had to play as centre back more than he should have for example. If we have a good campaign, but finish 2nd I’ll take it. As long we don’t throw the title away like we did previous season.

Who is your most important player?

This one is easy, Nemanja Vidic. He missed most of last season after twisting his knee against Basel (December) and left the pitch on a stretcher. He only played in 6 Premier League matches. Now that Smalling and Evans are suffering from injuries, It’s crucial our captain stays fit.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

I think we are going to win the title back, so 1st. Who might win the Premier League? I think it’s going to be us or City, could see Chelsea and Arsenal fight for that 3rd place finish.

Who definitely won’t?

Spurs, they won’t even finish in Top 5, there I said it. I could see Newcastle or Everton pushing for that final Champions League spot. One thing that makes Premier League such a wonderful league, is the fact you usually fail with any league table predictions (at least I do!).

What is your most anticipated fixture?

There are some fixtures I look forward to more than others.. usual suspects City,Chelsea,Liverpool,Arsenal of course. Looking forward seeing United play against promoted teams too, such as your lot. Our first fixture of the season is a hard one as well, Everton (Away).

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

Well, must be derby days. Newcastle – Sunderland being a fixture I won’t miss.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

As I said before, predicting is hard but I’ll give it a go. I think you’ll finish anywhere between 12 and 16. You have only signed one new player so far (Jay Rodriguez), so It’s hard to say how much you are going to improve your team before transfer window closes. I think you will have no problem beating the drop, and when you do you can start building for your 2nd season back in Premier League.

You find yourself stuck in the Etihad Stadium. How do you escape unnoticed?

Hmmm, wow. Well moonwalk is out of questions here I suppose. Fake phone call always gets you out of tricky situations I suppose?!

Newcastle are in the Europa league this season so we are hoping that we can have a long run in that competition, our first participation in Europe for six years. And as far as the league goes we will do well to repeat our 5th place finish of last year with Liverpool and Chelsea likely to be a lot better this season. And as far the two local cups go we’d like to see us have some good runs in those too – but if we can again qualify for Europe next season we’ll be happy enough.

Who is your most important player?

Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote run the central midfield for us, and up front Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba score the goals, so they are important. Captain Fabricio Coloccini, who has just been selected for Argentina again is a huge player for us at the back, as well as young Dutch international goalkeeper Tim Krul. Frenchman Ben Arfa also gives us the creativity to unlock any defenses on his day.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

Newcastle should be able to finish in the top six, if we can carry on from where we left off last season.

Who might win the Premier League?

Manchester United or Manchester City would seem to be the top choices, although our own Ben Arfa is saying Newcastle could have a chance at the title, but that has to be a long shot – a very long shot.

Who definitely won’t?

Sunderland.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

The games with local rivals Sunderland are always the top fixtures at Newcastle and we haven’t lost to Sunderland for many many seasons, and long may that continue. Of course they also play in red and White stripes with black shorts like Southampton. We also like playing Manchester United, and whacked them 3-0 at St. James Park last January.

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

The local derby between the two Manchester clubs.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

They should be able to keep themselves in the Premier League next season, as they seem to have captured some decent players in the summer in Nathaniel Clyne and Jay Rodriguez, although the latter didn’t come cheap. I used to live down in Romsey when I was at IBM in Hursley way back, so I have a soft spot for Southampton.

Cabaye & Tiote will be key to building on Newcastle’s impressive last season.

The same blood, sweat and tears. The same never-say-die attitude. The same Grant Holt. The same energy levels, quick attacks and aerial threat. Oh, and a new manager.

Who is your most important player?

I’ve been vocal about Jonny Howson and think he will be instrumental this season. I’ve even predicted that he will win his first England cap during the course of the 2012/13 season.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

I’d love to see a repeat of last season, but have a feeling that we’ve got a tougher journey this time round. I will predict 15th.

Who might win the Premier League?

Chelsea could be capable of challenging the two Manchester Clubs, but certain senior members of the squad will need to find some form and keep it.

Who definitely won’t?

Any of ther other 17 teams! – If you want me to pick on one I’ll say QPR. A few names have joined over the Summer but Hughes is still to prove that he can make them gel.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

We’re looking forward to welcoming Mr Lambert back to Carrow Road. Of all our fixtures, we will be desperate to win that one!

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

I love a good derby, and I think the North London clashes between Arsenal and Spurs will continue to be vital in the race for Champions League spots.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

Southampton come into the Premier League under near identical circumstances to Norwich. New management has brought fresh impetus and a desire to succeed. The manager has been clever in the transfer market this summer, and I think these signings could be vital in the quest for survival. Can Southampton succeed in the same manner as Norwich and Swansea? Possibly!

You find yourself stuck in Portman Road. How do you escape unnoticed?

With my hands in my pocket. If Ipswich Town fans spot someone with regulation four fingers and a thumb, they immediately become suspicious.

Nice, attacking football, short passing, a reluctance to shoot from distance, generous defending, late calamities, the tease of a trophy and balanced, considered expressions of opinion from online fans.

Who is your most important player?

At the moment, with some of the summer still to go and the future of Van Persie still to be decided, I’d say Mikel Arteta. He’s a calm, experienced professional who really makes the team tick. I think if Van Persie goes we might see him step up.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

Top four, but I can’t really be any more exact than that.

Who might win the Premier League?

I never rule us out, despite it being so long since we’ve won it we have challenged some seasons so you never know. So, Arsenal, United, Chelsea, Man City.

Who definitely won’t?

Everyone else. I don’t think Liverpool have the squad, I’m not sure Sp*rs do either although they’re definitely top six material, and apart from that the financial side of things pretty much precludes anyone else from challenging.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

Obviously the North London derbies but the rivalry with United for so long means I always look forward to those games.

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

Man United v Man City. When United were winning everything I think there was a certain sympathy for City when they were being relegated and being cast under such a successful shadow. It shows how far things have come that this is a game I can’t wait to see and I want United to murder them.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

To be honest I haven’t seen much of Southampton since they were relegated but obviously there’s been a huge turnaround. When you consider how far you fell to have come back to the Premier League is a fantastic achievement. And the club seem to have the infrastructure and know-how to get up and stay up, which is the most important thing. It’s not at all unusual for a newly promoted team to have a fine first season, but it’s achieving the consistency over the next few years that will provide the real challenge.

You find yourself stuck in White Hart Lane. How do you escape unnoticed?

Some good, solid football. Now that Paul Lambert is in charge, the club seem to be going in the right direction and most of our fans are appreciative of that. Progress will take time, but I feel people will see more of our club’s potential this year. I also expect our new signings to draw the attention of some of the big clubs – Karim El-Ahmadi and Brett Holman will do well this year I feel.

Who is your most important player?

Stephen Ireland – he may well have had a mixed start to his career in his first season, but last year he was rightly fan’s player of the year, and showed a fantastic determination to play for the team. If he is on form, and signs seem to show he will be this season, he’s unplayable and, in my opinion, the most technically gifted player we have.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

A solid mid-table finish. This might sound low in the eyes of some Aston Villa fans, but after the past two seasons and the need to change things, it is a good enough expectation. That doesn’t mean that we can’t do better, just that I am not expecting us to do more. You never know – we may end up surprising everyone like Newcastle did last year!

Who might win the Premier League?

It depends how you want me to answer. The obvious candidates, such as the two Manchester clubs, and Chelsea are, well, obvious. If you mean who could be a dark horse, then I think that it’s probably a stretch too far to pick one. The most likely candidate would be Tottenham Hotspur I imagine, although a lot will hinge on both how Andre Villas-Boas does at the club, and whether they can keep hold of key players like Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart.

Who definitely won’t?

Sad as it is to say, probably about 16 teams in the league. I know last season’s campaign was very competitive for the majority of the league members, but the title contenders were way ahead of even the Europa League places.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

It’s a strange pick from me in the eyes of some, but I’ll be interested to see the reaction our manager gets when we play Norwich away. I imagine it will be mostly positive, but I’m sure there are some Norwich fans who didn’t appreciate him leaving the club. Beyond that game, I just like teams who play football the right way, so I always like to see those kinds of games.

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

The Manchester derbies – It’s highly likely that the winner of the Premier League will come from those two teams this year. Beyond those, any game that involves Manchester City. I know they may well just be buying success, but they play good football, and their last game of the season against QPR had me out of my seat – I’ve never known a more exciting conclusion to the title race than that.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

I think they will do well. I’ve got a lot of time for Nigel Adkins and few can doubt the way he has taken the club to two successive promotions. In that regard, he is much like our current manager. My only concern for Southampton is that if they do well, I imagine bigger clubs will be looking at Adkins as a potential candidate for their clubs. That’s no disrespect to Southampton as a club, rather the fact that you can be very proud of what your manager has achieved.

You find yourself stuck in St. Andrews. How do you escape unnoticed?

Ah, the lovely St Andrews, home ground of Birmingham City. Assuming I was there for a match (there’s no real other reason why I’d be there), then I’d probably just try to fit in with their usual fan base by adopting a heavy Birmingham accent and looking constantly miserable. If I kept that up, I’d fit in nicely and be able to escape. I guess the only thing against me is that I write for one of the regional papers, so a fair number of them may well know my face!

As ever with Chelsea, you can expect the unexpected. We haven’t had a particularly exciting pre-season although it’s worth bearing in mind the last time we had such an unspectacular pre-season we won the double. I’m not suggesting we’ll repeat that but I do think we’ll have a much more attack-minded side this season rather than the constant defensive displays that saw us defy some remarkable odds last season. I should mention we’re Champions of Europe here really (just because I can).

Who is your most important player?

Historically in this squad that probably has to be John Terry, just for his sheer contribution as a leader and motivator. However, if we’re talking about who will be a key player for us in the coming season, I can see Hazard, Mata and Marin all causing a few nerves in opposition defences but for me our success or failure could fall at the feet of Fernando Torres. If he has the sort of season we bought him for, we’ll be flying – if he doesn’t, we’ll be f***ed.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

Top two for sure this season. Our final position in the Premier League last season was down to the damage done under AVB’s management (that’s not laying the blame squarely on his shoulders either). There was no real way back for Di Matteo from that and he was right to go for the Champions League instead. This season though, he’s already made his intention clear to address our Premier League standing, and I’ve every faith he’ll do that.

Who might win the Premier League?

We might! If not us, then United – they won’t take last season laying down, that has to have hurt everyone at Old Trafford and they’ll make sure they finish above City this time. Hopefully that’ll still leave them behind us though.

Who definitely won’t?

Spurs! Not that they’d have a hope in hell anyway but from some of the bitter stuff he’s already had to say in the press, it’s clear AVB’s more focused on Chelsea than anything else in the Premier League – never a good thing.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

Of course our game against QPR will have even more added spice than previous meetings but to be honest, JT will undoubtedly have a camera rammed up his left nostril (with an obligatory microphone courtesy of some new FA ruling) and it’ll be too much of a circus to get too excited about it. So, I’ll go with Spurs – these derbies are always much anticipated and it’ll be an interesting one against them having put them out of the Champions League, not to mention meeting our former manager as the opposition.

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

After events on the final day last season, the Manchester derby should be well worth a watch shouldn’t it?

How do you think Southampton will fare?

If I’m honest, will you edit it out? Just kidding! I think you’ll have a honeymoon season, so you’ll do ok. Maybe a finish around 14th?

You find yourself stuck in The Emirates Stadium. How do you escape unnoticed?

To be honest, if I was stuck in Arsenal’s ground, escape wouldn’t be too difficult. I’d sneak out ten minutes before the end along with the rest of them – no-one would think that was unusual.

This season will see a more dynamic Everton in the premier league. We have let go of players who were not making the desired impact, eg Rodwell, Cahill & fringe players, and brought in more industrious players such as Gibson, Naismith & Jelavic, fans can expect to see Everton better in possession, defensively solid, and more free flowing in the goals department.

Who is your most important player?Jac

It’s a coin toss between Steven Pienaar and Maruane Fellaini.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

If we start the season how we finish it then top 6 for Everton this season.

This question depends a lot on what happens in the final few weeks of the transfer window. Martin Jol recently said that Fulham is far from done, and they haven’t spent a pound in the transfer market yet despite having brought in Hugo Rodallega, Mladen Petric, and Sascha Riether. If Jol can find two more strikers and a midfielder like he said he’s looking for, this club has a ton of potential.

Fulham are a club that have flown entirely under the radar in the last few seasons, and without attracting the attention of much of the media and fans have grown up in the Premier League, making themselves a mainstay in the middle of the pack. Not only that, but a few top-10 finishes in the last couple of years have the fan base buzzing with thoughts of Europa League qualifying dancing in their heads. With the overhaul Martin Jol has brought to the squad this offseason and the mystery surrounding Clint Dempsey’s future, there may a settling-in period, but to expect another 9th place finish isn’t overestimating this squad by any means.

Who is your most important player?

The American Clint Dempsey, with the shroud covering his future, can almost be thought of as too much a distraction. However, he’s still no question the most well-rounded talent on the club who can strike at any time from the midfield. The question is, where will he be when the window comes to a close? And if he’s still on the Fulham roster, what role will he play? He’s been locked out of all preseason action so far, with rumors of misgivings with management abound (although the club insists his fitness is the issue). Liverpool are the no-doubt frontrunners for his services at the moment, but with Fulham requiring £10 million to complete the deal, and Dempsey about to top 30 years of age, the Reds are reluctant to pull the trigger.

My prediction has always been for Dempsey leaving in the winter, and it’s looking more and more like that will be the case. However, if Fulham do indeed find themselves in the race for a Europa League spot, they may find more value in his playing services than in the cold, hard cash they would receive from a team. Letting him walk for free would hurt, but at the same time if he successfully helped the team to previously unreached heights, most would be content to overlook that.

Where do you predict you will finish this season?

Like I said earlier, 9th place is a realistic expectation this season, but the future is bright.

Who might win the Premier League?

I can’t bet against Manchester United, who with their successful acquisitions this offseason, and the lack of moves made by their derby rivals, they once again the upper hand.

Who definitely won’t?

I know this isn’t going out on much of a limb these days, but Arsenal’s struggles to secure hardware will continue this season. As much as Wenger has figured out how to sign cheques and complete transactions once again, and has used that to his advantage to secure a number of excellent buys, they won’t have a major impact until the second half of the season, by which time it will be too late. Next season, however, I would beware the Gunners.

What is your most anticipated fixture?

No doubt Fulham fans this season will be looking forward to both ends of the fixtures with Queens Park Rangers. Fans have developed a fearsome hatred for each side, being fueled with QPR’s hiring of Mark Hughes, completing his traitorous departure from Craven Cottage. Fulham fans sat back last season with a wry smile while they watched their London rivals squirm their way out of relegation. The Cottagers thumped QPR 6-0 in the home fixture, and took another 3 points 1-0 across London, giving firm bragging rights to the banks of the Thames. The first matchup will be much-anticipated, and fans will have to wait until December 15 for the rivalry to continue at Loftus Road.

What is your most anticipated fixture that doesn’t involve your club?

The Manchester derby has to be the most exciting fixture. While I’m sure that doesn’t surprise anyone, these two clubs have to be considered once again the top two in the country. They very well could decide the championship, and it doesn’t get much better than that.

How do you think Southampton will fare?

Unfortunately I think Southampton will struggle to stay in the Premiership. This isn’t to underestimate Southampton, but rather a number of teams that finished in the bottom quarter of the league last season have spent a great deal of money this offseason and unfortunately for Southampton this puts them at a disadvantage. Look at what clubs such as Queens Park Rangers, Aston Villa, and even newly promoted sides West Ham and Reading have added this offseason, they may be distancing themselves from other more dormant clubs like Southampton.

Thanks to all the contributors for their input! Look out for the next three parts soon!

This was the hyperbole and conjecture that greeted Saints fans on reveal of this season’s coming Premier League fixtures. I looked at it a slighty different way.

Exciting. ‘Back where we belong’. Challenging….

After all, there is no easy games in the Premier League, you have to play every team twice, and our fate will be sealed based on our performances in those games the same as it is for everybody else. Admittedly, having to play last season’s top three in our first four games isn’t ideal, but this lends itself to a plethora of speculation. It may be the best time to play them. They are likely to have new players, and be tinkering with new systems for example. But, actually what it has meant is that, should, God (or whichever fictional deity you choose to worship) forbid, we are in a scrap at the business end of the season, our last seven fixtures (on paper at least) couldn’t be kinder.

But there is that saying again. On paper, and that is all these fixtures are at the moment, a list. Nothing more, nothing less. There are only two teams we can really base our predictions on, those that joined us from the Championship, Reading and West Ham, the rest we haven’t played for at least two seasons.

But what if we took our head to head record (based on the last two competitive fixtures) against the rest of the clubs in the Premier League as a start point. How would we fare in the coming season?

First up we travel to the City of Manchester Stadium to take on the reigning champions. It was January 2007, the last time we made this trip, Kenwyne Jones found the net for Saints, but Man City ran away 3-1 winners with goals from Darius Vassell, Joey Barton and Damarcus Beasley. The last time City visited St. Mary’s it would end goaless in the Premier League fixture of October 2004. Points – 1.

Saints will open their Premier League home campaign with the visit of Wigan Athletic. It was January 1986 when the clubs last met on the South Coast, and in fact is the only competitive fixture between the two in their history! Glenn Cockerill and a brace by David Armstrong saw Saints through to the fifth round of the FA Cup. Points – 4 (A draw was allocated for the away game).

Manchester United will then make the trip to Southampton, despite a famous run of victories against the Red Devils, it will be 9 years and a day since we last beat them when we kick off on the 1st September. Our last meeting with Sir Alex and his men saw goals from Michael Owen and Javier Hernandez cancel out Richard Chaplow’s opener in the FA Cup 4th Round. Our last trip to Old Trafford ended in a 3-0 reverse at the hands of Scholes, Rooney and Ronaldo in December 2004. Points – 0.

An unlikely hero emerged on our last visit to Arsenal. Rory Delap got both goals in a two all draw, Henry and Van Persie on target for the Gunners! Peter Crouch scored at St. Mary’s in the same season to gain Saints a double of draws over the North London side. Points – 2.

Fans will want to forget the last time St. Mary’s hosted Aston Villa. Peter Crouch and Kevin Phillips gave Saints an early lead, only to lose 3-2. Carlton Cole, Nobby Solano and Steven Davis sealing the victory for Villa in April 2005. It was a 2-0 defeat at Villa Park, Carlton Cole and Darius Vassell getting the goals in an earlier game that season. Points – 0.

Everton were famed as a Saints “bogey team” for years, and in that same fateful final Premier League season, they were just as tight. A Leon Osman goal at the death decided matters at Goodison Park, while Saints managed a point at St. Mary’s with goals from Peter Crouch and Henri Camara cancelling out James “I definitely won’t celebrate” Beattie and Marcus Bent. Points – 1.

It was a goalfest the last time Saints hosted Fulham, a brace from Kevin Phillips and an own goal for the hosts, Radzinski, Malbranque and Bouba Diop for the visitors. The reverse fixture that season saw a victory for the cottagers through a solitary Tomas Radzinski strike. Points – 1.

Chaplow and co celebrate the opener v Man Utd.

West Ham are of course more recent opponents, Jos Hooiveld the scourge of East London, scoring the winner at St. Mary’s and then the equaliser at Upton Park last season. Points – 4.

After the trip to West Ham, Saints play host to their North London neighbours, the now Redknapp-less (shame) Spurs lost on their last visit, Nigel Quashie with the only goal of the game. It was a different story at White Hart Lane though, Saints put to the sword, losing 5-1. Jermain Defoe kept the match ball, Kanoute and Keane getting the other two, Peter Crouch got the consolation. Points – 3.

A trip to the Midlands follows, as Saints go to the Hawthorns. Saints last played WBA in the 2007/08 Championship season. Despite Albion going up as Champions that season and Saints needing last day heroics to stay up, it was the South Coast side that got the better of their two fixtures. Adam Lallana scored in the away leg in a 1-1 draw, while a double from Stern John and a Marek Saganowski strike secured all three points at home. Points – 4.

Swansea City will come to St. Mary’s in November, Saganowski earned Saints a point the last time this fixture happened in the 2008/09 Championship relegation season. The reverse game saw an easy run out for the Swans, Pratley, Gomez and Butler getting the goals in a 3-0 defeat for Saints. Points – 1.

In that same season, Saints suffered a heavy defeat at next opponents QPR. Ex-Saint Dexter Blackstock got a couple, Stewart and Ageymang also netted, Adam Lallana got Saints only reply. Later in the campaign, the two clubs played out a 0-0 draw at St. Mary’s. Points – 1.

Saints haven’t faced Newcastle United in a league game since 2004, going down 1-2 at home to goals from Alan Shearer and Titus Bramble, Peter Crouch almost inevitably being the Saints goalscorer in that season. The last time Saints visited St. James’ Park though is more recent. Keiron Dyer got the only goal in February 2006 in the FA Cup 5th round. Points – 0.

Jos Hooiveld heads Saints to three points.

Saints and Norwich City both left the Premier League in the same season, so barring the past two seasons have been regular opponents. It was in the Johnstones Paint Trophy that the Canaries last came to St. Mary’s, A last minute Papa Waigo equaliser took the game to a penalty shootout which Saints won, subsequently lifting the trophy. A Lee Barnard brace saw Saints take all three points at Carrow Road that same season. Points – 6 (I know, I know, technically the JPT game was a draw after 90 minutes, but it’s my game and my rules).

A trip to Anfield beckons in December, just as it did in our last Premier League season. Florent Sinama-Pongolle scored the only goal of the game that time. Saints got their revenge over Liverpool at St. Mary’s just a month later, David Prutton and Peter Crouch ensuring a 2-0 victory. Points – 3.

In a reverse of last season, Saints will host Reading first. In the game that effectively conceded the title to their Berkshire rivals in April, Saints went down 3-1, Rickie Lambert on the scoresheet, but outdone by Jason Roberts and Adam Le Fondre. It was a 1-1 draw at the Madjeski, Steve de Ridder cancelling out Mikele Leigertwood’s opener. Points – 1.

The last time Saints went to Stamford Bridge, James Beattie scored at both ends, Frank Lampard sealing the points for Chelsea. Lampard scored again at St. Mary’s which coupled with an Eidur Gudjohnsen double meant Kevin Phillips’ goal was just a consolation. Points – 0.

Saints last faced Sunderland in the 2006/07 Championship season, going down 2-1 at home, after Gareth Bale had grabbed a last minute equaliser at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season. Points – 1.

The last club Saints will renew acquaintances with will be Stoke City. Tony Pulis and his merry band of ex-Southampton players will welcome Saints in the last game of 2012, and it was a 3-2 victory for the Potters in their last potteries encounter. It was an exact reverse of the scoreline in the same season at St. Mary’s, Drew Surman, Gregorz Rasiak and Jhon Viafara got the goals for Saints, Parkin and Fuller for Stoke. Points – 3.

Saints on the up.

So, if we can match those results, we will end on 36 points. Sounds bad doesn’t it? But, take into account that the majority of the games come from a terrible Premier League relegation campaign and consecutive horrific Championship seasons, it is surprisingly good.

Also, it is worth noting that 36 points would mean safety in six of the last ten Premier League seasons, though not the last two.

Of course, none of these teams look anything like the last time we played them, and neither do we. So this is all just speculation and conjecture. Of course it is, back where we started then….

You can see the full fixture list at the Saints Official Website here.

Chris

p.s. If you have enjoyed reading the blog over the past year, why not vote for us in the “Club Specific” category at the Football Blogging Awards? Either via Facebook here. Or, tweet the following:- @TheFBAs @crstig #Club

So the season is almost officially over, the players have gone on holiday and people are bemoaning another England manager’s tournament selection….

…that can only mean one thing. Silly season is upon us again!

Football wouldn’t be football without this period of crazy rumours, and over the next few weeks they will go from the sublime to the ridiculous.

The first type, are those that I find are characteristic of Saints fans, the paranoia rumour. The rumour that is born from that feeling of insecurity. Since the Liebherr family have taken over, things have gone pretty much consistently well, and as Saints fans we aren’t used to that, so we have to doubt it.

Since we secured promotion back to the Premier League these sort of rumours have started to flow again, just as they did last summer, and at various points since our dramatic rise back to prominence.

The first one came within 24 hours of promotion, and they have followed steadily since.

1. Nigel Adkins has fallen out with Nicola Cortese. This was seemingly based on a few throwaway comments by Adkins in the aftermath of the Coventry game, a time when he was elated and emotional. 2 + 2 = 5. The rumours spread quickly. Apparently Mr. Cortese wants a big name manager to lead us in the Premier League. Odd. Given the emphasis he put on appointing the right man at the time, and that he went for Adkins in the first place, a man who was hardly a name at the time. Also it has been reported that Nigel Adkins was in the stands for the Birmingham v Blackpool play off with our scouts. Looking for players at his next job?

2. The Liebherr family no longer want to invest in the club. This is where our inferiority complex really comes into play. Mr. Cortese rarely speaks publicly. The Liebherr family, to my knowledge have never spoken publicly about the club. So where does this come from? Are we frightened of the Premier League? Do we need to start making excuses now? Again this would be odd behaviour considering the development of the Academy that goes on as we speak, and that they recently wrote off their loan to the club as shares.

3. Rickie Lambert has fallen out with Nigel Adkins. This one is totally left-field. I saw this on twitter and fully LOL’d. How and what have they got to fall out about?

@Footie_Agent listens in on the deal to bring Sergio Aguero to St. Mary’s….

The second type of rumour is the dreaded transfer speculation. I love this. This is the opposite of the paranoia. These rumours are born out of optimism.

We have of course been linked to about 50 players already. Most of whom are “definitely” joining the club, because somebody knows somebody who saw somebody doing something. The Daily Echo have joined in with their Rumour Roundup which of course many fans chastise them for, but isn’t it their duty to keep abreast of these things?

Twitter is an amazing outlet. Everyone has a voice, and it is here where the rumour mill really comes into it’s own. Anyone can play out any character on twitter, as we see with some of the frankly brilliant parody accounts, but a new favourite is the account with the word “agent” in the title. These people proceed to tweet such things as “Meeting with Southampton today. Exciting times” and “such and such player is wanted by Saints” Really? You are an agent? Yet you would jeopardise any deal by publicly talking about it? Anyone who knows how we operate as a club will know we don’t do our business in the open. Beware of fools wearing cheap clothing.

I could go through each player linked and give my verdict on it, but hey, what do I actually know? No more than anyone else. So I thought I would give you my three personal favourites so far.

1. Michael Owen. This one is now an annual tradition for Saints, and I guess as we go up the divisions it get’s more and more likely. When Owen tweeted this yesterday, twitter erupted:-

Could it actually happen this time? Well who knows. Personally I am not sure we would be prepared to pay his wages, but with no transfer fee involved stranger things have happened. Would I sign him? Undoubtedly yes. It’s Michael Owen, but then if I was in control of transfers we would be lining up on the 18th August with Micky O up top, Owen Hargreaves in the middle and DBeck on the right.

2. Steven Pienaar. This one came from one of our friends the twitter agents. Basically it pretty much hangs on whether Modric stays at Spurs. Modric stays, Pienaar heads to the South Coast. Yeah right. As much as I would love a player of Pienaar’s quality at St. Mary’s, this one just doesn’t seem plausible. He is probably on a King’s Ransom at Spurs, he loves Everton and his list of suitors would be plentiful. Happy to be proved wrong on this one of course.

3. Matt Jarvis. There has been a lot of noise about this. It isn’t going away, and I see no reason why this one couldn’t be possible. Has he been “seen” at Staplewood? Probably not, unless he has got a hard hat on and is doing a bit of building for fun.

So there we have it, my mini-roundup of the crazy happenings so far. There is no doubt plenty more to come, Oliver Bierhoff will undoubtedly be seen at St. Mary’s, Rudi Skacel is looking for a club and nobody has spotted Gary Lineker in Ted’s fish and chip shop yet….

No matter what happens though, be thankful for where we are and who we have and trust Nicola and Nigel to make the right decisions. We are where we are on merit and it doesn’t matter who comes in and out of the door we’ll move on together!

Oh, and Joey Barton is likely to be available….

Chris

p.s. If you have enjoyed reading the blog over the past year, why not vote for us in the “Club Specific” category at the Football Blogging Awards? Either via Facebook here. Or, tweet the following:- @TheFBAs @crstig #Club

Southampton are back in the Premier League after a seven year absence, and it still hasn’t really sunk in yet. Emotional scenes at St. Mary’s yesterday as Nigel Adkins and his players got the reward they justly deserved for 19 months of hard work.

I’ve followed this club through all the downs and all the ups, and days like yesterday make everything worthwhile.

My view of the celebrations...

The Premier League is going to bring a whole set of new challenges and that we can worry about in August, for now we can focus on the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal etc. coming to St. Mary’s. It should also see the first return to St. Mary’s of a certain former Saints manager currently residing in North London. A warm welcome will be in store for Mr. Redknapp no doubt.

In recent weeks, as the race to seal the second automatic promotion spot seemed to get closer and closer it felt a little bit like it wasn’t going to happen for us, our confidence looked low and we were soon abandoning our style. Something was different yesterday. We looked every bit the side we did in the earlier stages of the season. The interchanges between Lallana, Guly (dare I say, he was my man of the match?) and Schneiderlin in particular highlighting the level of ability we have in the squad.

Don’t get me wrong the Premier League is as tough as it gets, but this squad has the ability and undoubtedly the spirit.